System and method for filtering beverages

ABSTRACT

A method for preparing a filtered beverage includes filtering a raw beverage using a cross-flow ultrafiltration device to produce a solids fraction and a liquid fraction; heating the solids fraction to a temperature of 60° C. or greater to produce a pasteurized solids fraction; microfiltering the liquid fraction through a microfilter having a size cut-off of 1 μm or smaller to produce a microfiltered liquid fraction; and combining the pasteurized solids fraction and the microfiltered liquid fraction to result in the filtered beverage.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/952,997, filed Nov. 19, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/938,718, filed 21 Nov. 2019, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

Beverages prepared from fruits, vegetables, and other plant parts, aswell as dairy-based beverages, are often processed to reduce microbialload and to improve shelf life. Such processing may include heating(e.g., pasteurization). However, heating the beverages may alter theirflavor profile and deteriorate beneficial micronutrients that may bepresent in the raw (unprocessed) beverages.

An example of a beverage that is commonly pasteurized to increase itsshelf life is orange juice. Large scale commercial production of orangejuice began in response to the need to provide a vitamin C rich foodproduct to American soldiers during World War H. The first frozenconcentrated orange juice product was launched in the late 1940's. Whilethe concentrated juice provided a convenient and affordable source oforange juice to many consumers, the processes used to produce theconcentrate caused undesirable changes in the flavor and texture of thejuice. Not-from-concentrate (“NFC”) orange juice was developed toprovide a product with improved flavor and texture. However, even thoughNFC juice provided an improvement in flavor over concentrated juice, theneed to pasteurize the juice to reduce the microbial load still causesdegradation of many flavor compounds and other thermally labilecompounds, such as vitamin C, in the juice.

Freshly squeezed, unpasteurized juice is becoming more popular amongconsumers due to its superior flavor. However, without pasteurization orother treatments, the microbial load of the juice significantly reducesits shelf life compared to pasteurized NFC juices.

There is a need to provide a system and method for preparing beverageswith a reduced microbial load and increased shelf stability. There is aneed to provide a system and method for preparing an NFC juice that hasa reduced microbial load and increased shelf stability.

SUMMARY

A method for preparing a filtered beverage includes filtering a rawbeverage using a cross-flow ultrafiltration device to produce a solidsfraction and a liquid fraction; heating the solids fraction to atemperature of 60° C. or greater to produce a pasteurized solidsfraction; microfiltering the liquid fraction through a microfilterhaving a size cut-off of 1 μm or smaller to produce a microfilteredliquid fraction; and combining the pasteurized solids fraction and themicrofiltered liquid fraction to result in the filtered beverage. Insome embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice.

A filtration system includes an ultrafiltration device defining anultrafiltration retentate side and an ultrafiltration permeate side, theultrafiltration device being configured in cross-flow mode; a heatercoupled with and configured to receive flow from the ultrafiltrationretentate side and comprising an output line; a microfilter coupled withand configured to receive flow from the ultrafiltration permeate side,the microfilter comprising a microfiltration upstream side andmicrofiltration filtrate side and having a particle size cut-off of 1 μmor smaller, the microfilter being configured in direct flow filtrationmode; and a mixer coupled with and configured to receive flow from theheater output line and the microfiltration filtrate side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is graphical representation of the components of orange juice bysize.

FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of a filtration method according to anembodiment.

FIG. 2B is a system diagram of a filtration system according to anembodiment.

FIG. 3A is a flow diagram of a filtration method according to anembodiment.

FIG. 3B is a system diagram of a filtration system according to anembodiment.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of alternative cross-flowultrafiltration membranes for use in the filtration system of FIGS. 2Band 3B according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for filteringbeverages. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems andmethods for filtering fruit and vegetable juices, such as orange juice,and for producing a not-from-concentrate (“NFC”) juice. The presentdisclosure provides a system and method for preparing an NFC juice (inparticular, orange juice) that has reduced microbial load and increasedshelf stability. The NFC juice made according to the methods of thepresent disclosure exhibits a taste profile comparable to freshlysqueezed non-pasteurized orange juice and a microbial load comparable topasteurized NFC orange juice.

The term “beverage” is used here to refer to any liquid suitable forhuman consumption. Examples of beverages include fruit juices, vegetablejuices, liquid dairy products (e.g., milk), fermented liquid dairyproducts (e.g., buttermilk), steeped liquids or extracts (e.g., tea,coffee), fermented liquids (e.g., beer, wine, and the like), broth(e.g., vegetable broth, meat or bone-based broths, mushroom broth, andthe like), etc.

The term “juice” is used here to refer to a liquid obtained from afruit, vegetable, or other plant part (e.g., leaves, roots, tubers, andthe like). Juice may be obtained, for example, by pressing or squeezingthe fruit, vegetable, or other plant part. Juice may include solids fromthe fruit, vegetable, or other plant part.

The terms “raw beverage” and “raw juice” are used in this disclosure todescribe a beverage or juice that has not been further processed afterobtaining the beverage or juice to concentrate the beverage or juice orto remove or kill pathogens. For example, the beverage or juice has notbeen heated (e.g., pasteurized) or radiated.

The term “sugar” is used here to refer to monosaccharides anddisaccharides, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, and the like.

The term “cross-flow” is used here to refer to a filtration mode where afluid is flown across the surface of a filter membrane, and wherecomponents larger than the size cut-off of the filter membrane remain onthe retentate side and components smaller than the size cut-off may flowthrough the membrane to the permeate side. A continuous flow of fluidacross the membrane may flush away material on the retentate side.

The term “direct flow” is used here to refer to a filtration mode wherefluid is flown into a filter, such as a cartridge filter, and wherecomponents larger than the size cut-off of the filter media remain onthe upstream side of the filter and components smaller than the sizecut-off may flow through the filter media to the downstream side. Adirect flow filter is sometimes referred to as a dead-end filter. Adirect flow filter may be cleaned or flushed in a cleaning or flushingcycle where flow through the filter is reversed.

The terms “pasteurize” and “pasteurization” are used here to refer to aheat treatment to eliminate pathogens in a product, typically a liquidfood product. During pasteurization the product is heated to an elevatedtemperature, such as at least 60° C. or at least 70° C., for a setperiod of time ranging from a number of seconds to several minutes. Thespecific temperature and time depend on the type of product, thepathogens of interest, and the desired rate of reduction in microbialload.

The term “log reduction” is used here to refer to the reduction in thenumber of microbes in a product given as a log₁₀ reading. For example, a5-log reduction is used to mean a 100,000-fold reduction. Log reductionmay be determined using any suitable method, such as a microbial culturetest.

The terms “microbe” and “pathogen” are used interchangeably, and bothrefer broadly to bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Examples of microbes andpathogens include spoilage pathogens, such as spoilage bacteria (e.g.,Acetobacter, Alicyclobacillus, Bacillus, Gluconobacter, Lactobacillus,Leuconostoc, Zymomonas, and Zymobacter), yeasts (e.g., Pichia, Candida,Saccharomyces, and Rhodotorula), and molds (e.g., Pichia, Candida,Saccharomyces, and Rhodotorula), and disease-causing pathogens (e.g., E.coli, Listeria, Salmonella, etc.)

The term “substantially” as used here has the same meaning as“significantly,” and can be understood to modify the term that followsby at least about 75%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, or atleast about 98%. The term “not substantially” as used here has the samemeaning as “not significantly,” and can be understood to have theinverse meaning of “substantially,” i.e., modifying the term thatfollows by not more than 25%, not more than 10%, not more than 5%, ornot more than 2%.

The term “about” is used here in conjunction with numeric values toinclude normal variations in measurements as expected by persons skilledin the art, and is understood have the same meaning as “approximately”and to cover a typical margin of error, such as ±5% of the stated value.

Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only asingular entity, but include the general class of which a specificexample may be used for illustration.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are used interchangeably with the term“at least one.” The phrases “at least one of” and “comprises at leastone of” followed by a list refers to any one of the items in the listand any combination of two or more items in the list.

As used here, the term “or” is generally employed in its usual senseincluding “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Theterm “and/or” means one or all of the listed elements or a combinationof any two or more of the listed elements.

The recitations of numerical ranges by endpoints include all numberssubsumed within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3,3.80, 4, 5, etc. or 10 or less includes 10, 9.4, 7.6, 5, 4.3, 2.9, 1.62,0.3, etc.). Where a range of values is “up to” or “at least” aparticular value, that value is included within the range.

The words “preferred” and “preferably” refer to embodiments that mayafford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, otherembodiments may also be preferred, under the same or othercircumstances. Furthermore, the recitation of one or more preferredembodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and isnot intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of thedisclosure, including the claims.

According to an embodiment, a system and method for filtering beverages,such as fruit or vegetable juice, are provided. In particular, thesystem and method may be suitable for filtering orange juice and forproducing an NFC juice. The system and method utilize filtration, andheating of only a part of the beverage, to provide a desired logreduction of pathogens in the beverage. The final product is a treatedbeverage that may exhibit a taste profile comparable to freshly squeezednon-pasteurized beverage. The treated beverage may have a microbial loadcomparable to pasteurized NFC orange juice. The system and method arecapable of producing a beverage with improved quality and increasedshelf-life, as compared to similar beverages processed with conventionalmethods.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regulates theprocessing of juice using Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points(“HACCP”) principles. Among other things, the FDA has implemented a5-log pathogen reduction performance standard, meaning that producersmust treat the juice to accomplish a 5-log or 100,000 fold reduction inthe number of microorganisms. The producers may use control measuresthat have been shown to be effective in reducing the number ofmicroorganisms, and must demonstrate the efficacy of the reduction, forexample by regular testing.

The treatment of orange juice in particular is known to be challengingdue to, at least in part, the high content of both suspended anddissolved solids and of heat-sensitive compounds including flavorcompounds, vitamins, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients. Knowntreatments that are used to reduce the microbial load of orange juicealso result in an altered flavor profile and destruction of at leastsome of the heat-sensitive compounds. The present disclosure provides asystem and method that preserves a substantial portion of theheat-sensitive compounds and flavor compounds while reducing themicrobial load.

According to an embodiment, the system includes a direct flow filterthat is connected to and in fluid communication with (e.g., receivesflow from) the permeate side of an ultrafiltration device. The use of adirect flow filter with a suitably selected pore size provides assurancethat all or substantially all microbes from the fluid stream areretained and removed. A direct flow filter may remove at least 99%, atleast 99.9%, at least 99.99%, at least 99.999%, or at least 99.9999% ofthe microbes in the fluid stream. In other words, a direct flow filtermay be used to sterilize the fluid stream. A direct flow filter is alsocapable of being tested using a pressure-hold test to verify itsintegrity. A direct flow filter that passes the test can assure thedesired level of microbe removal from the fluid stream. In other words,a benefit of using a direct flow filter is that a certain level ormicrobial load removal may be assumed from a pressure-hold test.

According to an embodiment, the system and method involve splitting abeverage into two streams (e.g., a solids stream and liquid stream) andtreating the two streams separately in a way that assures a certainmicrobial load reduction (e.g., 5 log or better), where at least one ofthe streams (e.g., the liquid stream) is treated by a method that doesnot involve heating or radiation. According to an embodiment, the solidsstream may be treated by pasteurization and the liquid stream may betreated by microfiltration. The streams may subsequently be combined.

According to an embodiment, the system and method provide assurance thata 5 log reduction is achieved. For example, the system and method mayinclude an integrity test. An example of an integrity test involvesselecting a filter size cut-off that provides the desirable reduction(e.g., 5 log or better) and checking the integrity of the direct flowmembrane filter at the end of a membrane sanitization process. Thechecking may involve two steps: 1) fully wetting the membrane cartridgewith clean water, and 2) performing a pressure-hold test or forwarddiffusion flow test at a given test pressure. As an example, for a 0.2μm absolute rated cartridge, the pressure-hold-test may involvegenerating a pressure between a pressurized air source and the wettedmembrane at a test pressure of 35 psi, then monitoring at constantvolume to detect a pressure decline of less than 3 psi over 10 minutesthrough the membrane. A diffusion flow test may involve setting thepressure for the same membrane to 35 psi and measuring the volumetricflowrate needed to maintain the pressure steady over the test time, suchas below 30 mL/min for a 10 inch and 2.7 inch diameter cartridge filter,and comparing the measured flowrate to a threshold to determine if thecartridge filter is intact (e.g., performs as intended).

In some embodiments, the system of the present disclosure is used totreat a raw beverage. The raw beverage may be fruit juice, such asorange juice. FIG. 1 is a representation of the major components offruit juice by size. As can be seen, different sizes of components maybe present in the juice as suspended solids, colloidal dispersions, anddissolved solids. The largest components, which are present as suspendedsolids, include pulp, intact cells, starch granules, and yeast cells, atparticle sizes of roughly 5 μm and greater. Components that aregenerally smaller than 1 μm in size and present as colloidal dispersionsinclude bacteria, cell wall fragments, chromoplasts, oil droplets,pectin, hemicelluloses, and proteins. Soluble components having aparticle size of less than 0.001 μm include many of the compounds thatcontribute to the flavor or provide health benefits, such asbioflavonoids, vitamins, organic acids, sugars, and salts.

According to embodiments, the systems and methods of the presentdisclosure are suitable and beneficial for treatment of beverages, suchas raw juice. This is because the systems and methods of the presentdisclosure are capable of reducing the microbial load of the raw juicewithout compromising flavor or phytonutrients, such as vitamins, thatare present in raw juice. According to embodiments, the raw beverage hasnot been concentrated or treated to remove or kill pathogens prior totreating in the system of the present disclosure. For example, the rawbeverage has not been heated (e.g., pasteurized) or radiated. In someembodiments, the raw beverage has not been chemically treated prior totreating in the system of the present disclosure. According to someembodiments, after obtaining (e.g., juicing, squeezing, pressing,fermenting, etc.) and prior to treatment in the system of the presentdisclosure, no components have been removed from the raw beverage,including solids, soluble compounds, and microbes. In some embodiments,pectins have not been removed from the raw beverage, e.g., raw juice. Insome embodiments, the raw beverage has not been filtered prior totreating in the system of the present disclosure. In some embodiments,the raw beverage has not been centrifuged prior to treating in thesystem of the present disclosure.

The general treatment process is schematically shown in the flow diagramin FIG. 2A. The raw beverage (e.g., juice) may be first split into twostreams—a solids fraction and a liquid fraction. The raw beverage may besplit into a solids fraction and a liquid fraction using a suitablefiltration device, such as an ultrafiltration device. The solids streammay include most, substantially all, or all of the suspended solids ofthe raw beverage. In some embodiments, the solids fraction has a lowwater content while still being pumpable. The majority of water, otherliquid compounds, and dissolved solids may be contained in the liquidfraction. The weight ratio of the solids fraction and the liquidfraction may be approximately 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8, 1:9, or 1:10, or anyrange therebetween (for example, from 1:5 to 1:10).

According to an embodiment, the solids fraction and the liquid fractionare treated separately after separation and before combining thefractions into a final product. Different treatment methods may be usedfor each fraction. The treatment methods may be selected to be effectiveat reducing microbial load and to have a minimal impact on the flavorand nutrient profile of the final (combined) product. The solidsfraction may be treated to kill pathogens. The treatment of the solidsfraction may include, for example, heating (e.g., pasteurization),radiation, or a combination thereof. The liquid fraction may be treatedby a method that does not involve heating or radiation. The liquidfraction may be filtered to remove pathogens. The filtration of theliquid fraction may include, for example, microfiltration, resulting ina microfiltered liquid fraction. According to an embodiment, the liquidfraction is not heated or pasteurized. For example, during the method,the temperature of the liquid fraction is never increased above 35° C.,above 40° C., above 45° C., or above 50° C. The treated solid and liquidfractions may be combined (e.g., mixed) to produce the final product.

In some embodiments, the solids fraction includes most or substantiallyall of the suspended solids of the raw beverage. The solids fraction mayinclude most or substantially all of the pectins present in thebeverage, e.g., raw juice. The solids fraction may also includenaturally occurring enzyme pectin methylesterase. The solids fractionmay have a water content of about 50 wt-% or lower, 40 wt-% or lower, 30wt-% or lower, or 20 wt-% or lower. The solids fraction may have asolids content of 50 wt-% or greater, 60 wt-% or greater, 70 wt-% orgreater, or 80 wt-% or greater.

In some embodiments, the liquid fraction includes most of the water andwater-soluble compounds (e.g., dissolved solids) of the raw beverage.The liquid fraction may have a water content of about 75 wt-% orgreater, 80 wt-% or greater, 85 wt-% or greater, or 90 wt-% or greater.The liquid fraction may have a water content of less than 100 wt-%, suchas 99 wt-% or less, 98 wt-% or less, or 95 wt-% or less. The liquidfraction may include dissolved solids in a range of 1 wt-% to 25 wt-%, 5wt-% to 20 wt-%, 8 wt-% to 20 wt-%, or from 10 wt-% to 15 wt-%. In someembodiments, a majority of the dissolved solids is sugar. The dissolvedsugar content of a substance may be estimated using refraction of light,expressed as a Brix reading or degrees Brix (° Bx). One degree of Brixis equivalent to about 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution. Thesolids fraction may exhibit a Brix reading of 10 or less, 8 or less, 7or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, or 4 or less.

The raw beverage may have a water content of about 70 wt-% or greater,75 wt-% or greater, 80 wt-% or greater, 85 wt-% or greater, or 90 wt-%or greater. The raw beverage may have a water content of up to 98 w-%,95 wt-%, up to 90 wt-%, up to 85 wt-%, or up to 80 wt-%. The finalproduct (treated, filtered beverage) may have a water content similar tothe raw beverage. In other words, the treatment may remove insignificantamounts of either liquid or solids from the raw beverage. For example,the raw beverage may have a first water content and the treated,filtered beverage may have a second water content, and the second watercontent may be within ±10% of the first water content. In someembodiments, the treated, filtered beverage has a water content of about70 wt-% or greater, 75 wt-% or greater, 80 wt-% or greater, 85 wt-% orgreater, or 90 wt-% or greater. The treated, filtered beverage may havea water content of up to 98 w-%, 95 wt-%, up to 90 wt-%, up to 85 wt-%,or up to 80 wt-%.

An exemplary system 1 according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure is shown in FIG. 2B. The system 1 may include a source of rawbeverage, e.g., raw juice. The source of raw beverage may be, forexample, a tank, a juice press, or a feed line. The source of rawbeverage may be connected via an input line 10 to the input 101 of anultrafiltration device 100. The ultrafiltration device 100 may be usedto divide the raw beverage into a solids fraction and a liquid fraction.The solids fraction may include the majority of or substantially all ofthe suspended solids of the raw beverage. The liquid fraction mayinclude water, other liquids, and dissolved solids.

The ultrafiltration device 100 may be arranged in a cross-flowconfiguration. In cross-flow configuration, a fluid (a juice in thiscase) is flown across a filter membrane, and components of the fluidthat are smaller than a size cut-off of the filter may permeate to thepermeate side of the filter, while the rest of the fluid, includingcomponents that are larger than the size cut-off, remain on theretentate side and will continue to flow.

The ultrafiltration device 100 may be set up as a flat (e.g.,rectangular) flow device with one or more membranes arranged along aplane, or as a cylindrical device with a wound roll of membrane. Anexemplary flat (rectangular) ultrafiltration membrane device 123 isshown schematically in FIG. 4A, and an exemplary peeled-openultrafiltration membrane 123′ of a cylindrical ultrafiltration device isshown schematically in FIG. 4B. The ultrafiltration device 100 may housean ultrafiltration membrane 123, 123′ defining a retentate side 113 anda permeate side 112. The ultrafiltration membrane 123, 123′ may be asingle membrane 23, a manifold of membranes, or a wound roll ofseparation membranes 23 disposed inside a filter housing or cartridge.The ultrafiltration device 100 may have in inlet that receives and inputflow 111 and outlets for output flows of retentate 130 and permeate 120.The separation membrane 23 may be selected to remove (e.g., retain)solid particles or molecules above a certain size cut-off. The layers ofseparation membranes 23 may be separated by spacers 141. The separationmembrane 23 itself may also include a spacer layer 124 to facilitateflow of permeate 120.

The ultrafiltration device may be configured to retain the majority of,substantially all, or all of the suspended solids of the raw beverage onthe retentate side of the membrane. The ultrafiltration device may beconfigured to allow the majority of or substantially all of the flavorand aroma compounds and other small molecules, such as vitamins, of theraw beverage to pass to the permeate side of the membrane. Theultrafiltration membrane may have particle size cut-off defined based onmolecular weight. For example, the ultrafiltration membrane may haveparticle size cut-off selected based on the size of the small moleculesdesired to stay with the liquid fraction, while larger particles,suspended solids, and microbes stay with the solids fraction. Forexample, small molecules that are desired to stay in the liquid fractioninclude sugars (e.g., the molecular weights of most mono- anddisaccharides are in the range of 180 to 350 Da (dalton)), flavorcompounds, vitamins (e.g., the molecular weights of most B and Cvitamins are in the range of 120 to 450 Da), flavonoids (e.g., certainflavonoids have molecular weights in the range of 300 to 700 Da), and/orother phytonutrients. On the other hand, larger particles, such as cellwall fragments and bacteria typically have particle sizes greater than0.5 μm (expressed in molecular weight, roughly 500 kDa (kilodalton) orgreater). The ultrafiltration membrane may have a molecular weightcut-off of 10 kDa or greater, 20 kDa or greater, 40 kDa or greater, 60kDa or greater, 80 kDa or greater, or 100 kDa or greater. The molecularweight cut-off may be 300 kDa or less, 250 kDa or less, 200 kDa or less,150 kDa or less, 120 kDa or less, or 100 kDa or less. In someembodiments, the molecular weight cut-off is in the range of 10 kDa to300 kDa, or from 100 kDa to 200 kDa.

Referring again to FIG. 2B, the separated liquid fraction (permeate 120)exits the ultrafiltration device 100 at outlet 102 and is flown alongline 20 to the microfiltration device 200. The microfiltration device200 may be configured as a direct flow filter. The microfiltrationdevice 200 may house a microfilter selected to retain most,substantially all, or all microbes present in the liquid fraction. Themicrofilter may define an upstream side and a filtrate side. Themicrofilter may be a cartridge filter, including a cartridge that housessuitable filter media. Examples of suitable filter media include pleatedmedia and microfiltration membranes. The microfilter may have a sizecut-off of 1.2 μm or smaller, 1.1 μm or smaller, 1 μm or smaller, 0.9 μmor smaller, 0.8 μm or smaller, 0.7 μm or smaller, 0.6 μm or smaller, or0.5 μm or smaller. The microfilter may have a size cut-off of 0.1 μm orgreater, 0.2 μm or greater, 0.3 μm or greater, 0.4 μm or greater, or 0.5μm or greater. In some embodiments, the size cut-off is in the range of0.2 μm to 1.0 μm. Using a direct flow filter with a suitably selectedcut-off allows the permeate (filtered liquid fraction) to be mixed intothe final product without additional treatment (e.g., heat or radiation)because the direct flow filter maintains all or substantially allmicrobes on the upstream side. According to an embodiment, themicrofiltration device 200 is configured as a direct flow filter and hasa size cut-off of 1.2 μm or smaller, 1.1 μm or smaller, 1 μm or smaller,0.9 μm or smaller, 0.8 μm or smaller, 0.7 μm or smaller, 0.6 μm orsmaller, or 0.5 μm or smaller, and achieves at least 99%, at least99.9%, at least 99.99%, at least 99.999%, or at least 99.9999% removalof microbes present in the separated liquid fraction. In someembodiments, the microfiltration device 200 is capable of sterilizingthe separated liquid fraction.

According to an embodiment, the microfiltered liquid fraction exhibitsat least a 5 log reduction in pathogens compared to the raw beverage. Insome embodiments, the microfiltered liquid fraction is substantiallyfree of pathogens. According to an embodiment, the microfiltered liquidfraction is substantially free of pathogens without heat treatment,radiation, or both heat and radiation treatment. In particular,according to an embodiment, the liquid fraction is treated without heattreatment, radiation, or both heat and radiation treatment, and issubstantially free of pathogens without heat treatment, radiation, orboth heat and radiation treatment. Heat treatment is considered to be atreatment where the temperature of the substance is increased to 50° C.or greater. Thus, according to an embodiment, the temperature of theliquid fraction during the process does not reach 50° C. or higher. Theliquid fraction may contain a majority of the dissolved solids of theraw beverage (e.g., sugars, flavor compounds, vitamins, flavonoids, andother phytonutrients).

According to an embodiment, the liquid fraction contains a majority ofthe sugars in the raw beverage. According to an embodiment, the liquidfraction contains 50% or more, 60% or more, 75% or more, 80% or more,85% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more of the sugar of the rawbeverage. According to an embodiment, the liquid fraction contains amajority of the vitamin C in the raw beverage. According to anembodiment, the liquid fraction has a vitamin C concentration that is50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 75% or more, 80% or more, or 85%or more of the vitamin C concentration of the raw beverage.

The separated solids fraction (retentate 130) exits the ultrafiltrationdevice 100 at outlet 103 and is flown along line 30 to a treatmentdevice 300. The treatment device 300 is coupled with and configured toreceive flow from the retentate side of the ultrafiltration device 100.The treatment device 300 may be, for example, a heater (e.g., apasteurizer). Other possible devices include, for example, devicescapable of radiating the solids fraction with UV, high energy, orparticle radiation. In one embodiment, the treatment device 300 includesa pasteurizer. The pasteurizer may include a heated tank or aflow-through heater (for example, heat exchanger). The pasteurizer maybe configured to heat the solids fraction to a temperature sufficient tokill pathogens. For example, the pasteurizer may be configured to heatthe solids fraction to about 60° C. or greater, 65° C. or greater, or70° C. or greater. The pasteurizer may be configured to heat the solidsfraction to about 95° C. or lower, 90° C. or lower, 85° C. or lower, 80°C. or lower, 75° C. or lower, or 70° C. or lower. The pasteurizer may beconfigured to hold the temperature of the solids fraction at thepasteurization temperature for a set period of time. For example, thepasteurizer may be configured to maintain the solids fraction at thepasteurization temperature for 10 s or longer, 30 s or longer, 1 min orlonger, or 2 min or longer. The pasteurizer may be configured tomaintain the solids fraction at the pasteurization temperature for 15min or less, 10 min or less, 5 min or less, or 2 min or less. Accordingto an embodiment, there is no flow from the microfiltration device 200to the treatment device 300.

According to an embodiment, the treated (e.g., pasteurized) solidsfraction exhibits at least a 5 log reduction in pathogens compared tothe raw beverage. In some embodiments, the treated (e.g., pasteurized)solids fraction is substantially free of pathogens.

The microfiltered liquid fraction may be flown from the microfiltrationdevice 200 via line 42 to a mixer 400 and the treated solids fractionmay be flown from the treatment device 300 via line 43 to the mixer 400.The mixer 400 may be coupled with and configured to receive flow fromthe filtrated side of the microfiltration device 200, and the treatmentdevice 300. The mixer 400 may include a mixing vessel or may be aninline mixer. The final product (treated beverage, e.g., juice) may beled out of the system 1 via output line 50. According to an embodiment,the final product exhibits at least a 5 log reduction in pathogenscompared to the raw beverage. In some embodiments, the final product issubstantially free of pathogens.

In some embodiments, the microfiltered liquid fraction is not mixed withthe treated solids fraction. Rather, the microfiltered liquid fractionmay be recovered and optionally packaged to provide a beverage thatcomprises a filtered liquid fraction of a raw juice. According to anembodiment, the beverage product may be a filtered liquid fraction madeby filtering a raw beverage, e.g., raw juice, using a cross-flowultrafiltration device to separate a solids fraction from a liquidfraction; and microfiltering the liquid fraction through a microfilterhaving a size cut-off of 1.2 μm or smaller, 1.1 μm or smaller, 1.0 μm orsmaller, 0.9 μm or smaller, 0.8 μm or smaller, 0.7 μm or smaller, 0.6 μmor smaller, or 0.5 μm or smaller; and/or 0.1 μm or greater, 0.2 μm orgreater, 0.3 μm or greater, 0.4 μm or greater, or 0.5 μm or greater, toproduce a microfiltered liquid fraction. The filtered liquid fractionhas been found to retain at least some or most of the color of the rawbeverage (e.g., raw juice) while being mostly or completely transparent(e.g., without turbidity). The filtered liquid fraction made from afruit juice has also been found to retain most of the fragrance and atleast some of the flavor of the raw beverage (e.g., raw juice).

According to an embodiment, the method further includes utilizing waterrecirculation to help wash more sugars and other small molecules fromthe solids fraction. A schematic flow diagram of such as process isshown in FIG. 3A, and the system diagram of the system configured forthe process is shown in FIG. 3B. As can be seen in FIG. 3A, the processis otherwise similar to that described with reference to FIG. 2A, but inaddition, reverse osmosis (“RO”) is used to separate water from theliquid fraction, and the RO water is returned back into a mixing tankand mixed with a solids fraction. The added water dilutes the sugars andsmall molecules present in the solids fraction, and helps remove them ina subsequent ultrafiltration step.

As above, the separated solids fraction (retentate 130) exits theultrafiltration device 100 at outlet 103 and is flown along line 30.However, instead of being directed to the treatment device 300, thesolids fraction is first mixed with RO water in mixing tank 500 and thenultrafiltered again in ultrafiltration device 100′. This cycle may berepeated more than once until a desired sugar content in the solidsfraction is reached. Monitoring the sugar content in the solids fractionmay be used as an indicator of the separation efficiency of separatingsugars and small molecules from the solids fraction. The treatmentdevice 300 is coupled with and configured to receive flow from theretentate side of the ultrafiltration device 100′. The treatment device300 may be as described above with regard to FIGS. 2A and 2B. The ROretentate (liquid fraction with some water removed) is combined with theinitial liquid fraction stream and is microfiltered to produce thefiltered liquid fraction. The washed solids fraction, which includesless sugars and small molecules than the initial solids fraction istreated (e.g., pasteurized). The treated (e.g., pasteurized) solidsfraction is combined with the microfiltered liquid fraction to producetreated juice.

The system 1′ shown in FIG. 3B includes the components of the system 1shown in FIG. 2B and additional includes the components of the watercirculation loop. In particular, FIG. 3B includes a RO membrane filter600 in fluid communication with (e.g., receiving flow from) the permeateside 112′ of an ultrafiltration device 100′ through outlet 102′ and vialine 21. The RO membrane filter 600 has a permeate side 612 that is influid communication with (e.g., delivers flow to) a mixing tank 500(e.g., the wash tank) via line 62. The mixing tank 500 also receivesflow from the retentate side (outlet 103) of the ultrafiltration device100 along line 30. The mixing tank 500 is in fluid communication with(e.g., delivers flow to) the ultrafiltration device 100′ via line 50.The RO membrane filter 600 further has a retentate side 613 that is influid communication with (e.g., delivers flow to) the microfilter 200via line 63. The retentate side 113′ of ultrafiltration device 100′delivers flow to the treatment device 300 through outlet 103′ and alongline 31.

According to an embodiment, by using a water recirculation loop, therelative sugar content in the liquid fraction may be even higher. Forexample, the liquid fraction may contain 85% or more, 90% or more, 95%or more, or 98% or more of the sugar of the raw beverage. According toan embodiment, the liquid fraction has a vitamin C concentration that is85% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or 98% or more of the vitamin Cof the raw beverage.

In some embodiments, the beverage includes the filtered liquid fractionmade by the methods described herein and having a suspended solidscontent of less than 5 wt-% or less than 2 wt-%. In some embodiments,the beverage consists essentially the pasteurized solids fraction andthe microfiltered liquid fraction. In some embodiments, the beverageconsists of the pasteurized solids fraction and the microfiltered liquidfraction. In some embodiments, the beverage consists essentially of thefiltered liquid fraction. In some embodiments, the beverage includessugars and flavor compounds that have not been heat treated or radiationtreated, and the beverage has a microbial load of less than 10 CFU/g(colony forming units per gram). In some embodiments, the beverageincludes small molecules having molecular weight below 1000 Da that havenot been heat treated or radiation treated, and has a microbial load ofless than 10 CFU/g. The small molecules may comprise sugars, flavorcompounds, and vitamins. In some embodiments, the beverage or consistsof the pasteurized solids fraction and the microfiltered liquidfraction. In other words, in some embodiments the filtered liquidfraction has not been combined with the solids fraction.

The following is a list of exemplary aspects of the articles accordingto the present disclosure.

According to aspect 1, a method for preparing a filtered beverage, e.g.,fruit juice, comprises filtering a raw beverage, e.g., raw juice, usinga cross-flow ultrafiltration device to produce a solids fraction and aliquid fraction; heating the solids fraction to a temperature of 60° C.or greater, 65° C. or greater, or 70° C. or greater, and/or to 95° C. orlower, 90° C. or lower, 85° C. or lower, 80° C. or lower, 75° C. orlower, or 70° C. or lower, to produce a pasteurized solids fraction;microfiltering the liquid fraction through a microfilter having a sizecut-off of 1.2 μm or smaller, 1.1 μm or smaller, 1.0 μm or smaller, 0.9μm or smaller, 0.8 μm or smaller, 0.7 μm or smaller, 0.6 μm or smaller,or 0.5 μm or smaller; and/or 0.1 μm or greater, 0.2 μm or greater, 0.3μm or greater, 0.4 μm or greater, or 0.5 μm or greater, to produce amicrofiltered liquid fraction; and combining the pasteurized solidsfraction and the microfiltered liquid fraction to result in the filteredbeverage, e.g., filtered juice.

Aspect 2 is the method aspect 1, wherein the beverage comprises rawjuice.

Aspect 3 is the method of aspect 1 or 2, wherein the raw beverage, e.g.,raw juice, has a water content of 70 wt-% or greater, 75 wt-% orgreater, 80 wt-% or greater, 85 wt-% or greater, or 90 wt-% or greater,and/or up to 95 wt-%, up to 90 wt-%, up to 85 wt-%, or up to 80 wt-%,and the filtered beverage, e.g., filtered juice, has a water content of70 wt-% or greater, 75 wt-% or greater, 80 wt-% or greater, 85 wt-% orgreater, or 90 wt-% or greater, and/or up to 95 wt-%, up to 90 wt-%, upto 85 wt-%, or up to 80 wt-%.

Aspect 4 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein theraw beverage, e.g., raw juice, has a first water content and thefiltered beverage, e.g., filtered juice, has a second water content, andwherein the second water content is within ±10% of the first watercontent.

Aspect 5 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein thesolids fraction has a water content of 50 wt-% or lower, 40 wt-% orlower, 30 wt-% or lower, or 20 wt-% or lower.

Aspect 6 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein thesolids fraction has a solids content of 40 wt-% to 90 wt-%, or 50 wt-%or greater, 60 wt-% or greater, 70 wt-% or greater, or 80 wt-% orgreater, and up to 90 wt-%.

Aspect 7 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein theliquid fraction comprises from 8 wt-% to 20 wt-% dissolved solids.

Aspect 8 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein theliquid fraction has a vitamin C concentration that is 75% or more of avitamin C concentration of the raw beverage.

Aspect 9 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein thecross-flow ultrafiltration device comprises a membrane having a sizecut-off of 10 kDa or greater, 20 kDa or greater, 40 kDa or greater, 60kDa or greater, 80 kDa or greater, or 100 kDa or greater, and/or whereinthe molecular weight cut-off is 300 kDa or less, 250 kDa or less, 200kDa or less, 150 kDa or less, 120 kDa or less, or 100 kDa or less. Insome embodiments, the molecular weight cut-off is in the range of 10 kDato 300 kDa, or from 100 kDa to 200 kDa.

Aspect 10 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themicrofilter is arranged as a direct flow filter.

Aspect 11 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themicrofilter has a size cut-off of 0.1 μm to 1.0 μm, from 0.1 μm to 0.5μm, or from 0.2 μm to 0.3 μm.

Aspect 12 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein theliquid fraction has a first microbial content and the microfilteredliquid fraction has a second microbial content, and wherein the secondmicrobial content is at least 5-log reduced from the first microbialcontent.

Aspect 13 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themicrofiltering removes at least 99%, at least 99.9%, at least 99.99%, atleast 99.999%, or at least 99.9999% of microbes in the liquid fraction.

Aspect 14 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themicrofiltering sterilizes the liquid fraction.

Aspect 15 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein theliquid fraction has a first microbial content and the microfilteredliquid fraction has a second microbial content, and wherein the secondmicrobial content is at least 5-log reduced from the first microbialcontent.

Aspect 16 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein theraw beverage, e.g., raw juice, has a raw beverage microbial content andthe filtered beverage, e.g., filtered juice, has a final microbialcontent, and wherein the final microbial content is at least 5-logreduced from the raw beverage, e.g., raw juice, microbial content.

Aspect 17 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themethod does not include a concentration step where concentration is doneby evaporation.

Aspect 18 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themethod does not include a step of concentrating the liquid fraction.

Aspect 19 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themethod does not include heat treatment of the liquid fraction.

Aspect 20 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein themethod does not include radiation treatment of the liquid fraction.

Aspect 21 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein thecombining occurs immediately after the microfiltering. According to apreferred aspect, there is no flow from the microfiltration device tothe treatment device.

Aspect 22 is the method of any one of the preceding aspects, furthercomprising an integrity test comprising testing the integrity of afilter membrane of the microfilter.

Aspect 23 is the method of aspect 22, wherein the integrity testcomprises performing a pressure-hold test or forward diffusion flow testat a given test pressure.

Aspect 24 is a filtration system comprising an ultrafiltration devicecomprising an ultrafiltration retentate side and an ultrafiltrationpermeate side, the ultrafiltration device being configured in cross-flowmode; a heater coupled with and configured to receive flow from theultrafiltration retentate side and comprising an output line; amicrofilter coupled with and configured to receive flow from theultrafiltration permeate side, the microfilter comprising amicrofiltration upstream side and microfiltration filtrate side andhaving a particle size cut-off of 1 μm or smaller, the microfilter beingconfigured in direct flow filtration mode; and a mixer coupled with andconfigured to receive flow from the heater output line and themicrofiltration filtrate side.

Aspect 25 is the filtration system of aspect 24, wherein the cross-flowultrafiltration device comprises a membrane having a size cut-off of 10kDa or greater, 20 kDa or greater, 40 kDa or greater, 60 kDa or greater,80 kDa or greater, or 100 kDa or greater, and/or wherein the molecularweight cut-off is 300 kDa or less, 250 kDa or less, 200 kDa or less, 150kDa or less, 120 kDa or less, or 100 kDa or less. In some embodiments,the molecular weight cut-off is in the range of 10 kDa to 300 kDa, orfrom 100 kDa to 200 kDa.

Aspect 26 is the filtration system of aspect 24 or 25, wherein themicrofilter has a size cut-off of 1.2 μm or smaller, 1.1 μm or smaller,1 μm or smaller, 0.9 μm or smaller, 0.8 μm or smaller, 0.7 μm orsmaller, 0.6 μm or smaller, or 0.5 μm or smaller, and/or wherein themicrofilter has a size cut-off of 0.1 μm or greater, 0.2 μm or greater,0.3 μm or greater, 0.4 μm or greater, or 0.5 μm or greater. In someembodiments, the size cut-off is in the range of 0.2 μm to 1.0 μm.

Aspect 27 is the filtration system of any one of aspects 24 to 26,further comprising a second ultrafiltration device comprising a secondultrafiltration retentate side and a second ultrafiltration permeateside, the second ultrafiltration device being configured in cross-flowmode; a reverse osmosis membrane filter coupled with and configured toreceive flow from the second ultrafiltration permeate side, the reverseosmosis membrane filter comprising a reverse osmosis permeate side; anda second mixer coupled with and configured to receive flow from thefirst ultrafiltration retentate side and the reverse osmosis permeateside, the heater being configured to receive flow from the secondultrafiltration retentate side. The reverse osmosis membrane filterfurther comprises a retentate side that is coupled with and configuredto deliver flow to the microfilter.

Aspect 28 is a beverage comprising a microfiltered liquid fraction madeby the method of any one of aspects 1 to 23.

Aspect 29 is the beverage of aspect 28 having a suspended solids contentof less than 5 wt-% or less than 2 wt-%.

Aspect 30 is the beverage of aspect 28 consisting essentially of thefiltered liquid fraction.

Aspect 31 is a beverage comprising a microfiltered liquid fraction madeby filtering a raw beverage, e.g., raw juice, using a cross-flowultrafiltration device to produce a solids fraction and a liquidfraction; and microfiltering the liquid fraction using a direct-flowmicrofilter having a size cut-off of 1.2 μm or smaller, 1.1 μm orsmaller, 1.0 μm or smaller, 0.9 μm or smaller, 0.8 μm or smaller, 0.7 μmor smaller, 0.6 μm or smaller, or 0.5 μm or smaller; and/or 0.1 μm orgreater, 0.2 μm or greater, 0.3 μm or greater, 0.4 μm or greater, or 0.5μm or greater, to produce the microfiltered liquid fraction.

Aspect 32 is the beverage of aspect 31, wherein the beverage comprisessmall molecules having molecular weight below 1000 Da that have not beenheat treated or radiation treated, and wherein the beverage has amicrobial load of less than 10 CFU/g. The small molecules may comprisesugars, flavor compounds, and vitamins.

Aspect 33 is a beverage made by the method of any one of aspects 1 to 23and consisting of the pasteurized solids fraction and the microfilteredliquid fraction.

Example

A filtration system according to the present disclosure was tested fortreating raw orange juice. The raw juice was unpasteurized,fresh-squeezed orange juice with an initial Brix reading of 11.1. Thetreatment system included an ultrafiltration cross-flow filter that wasused to separate a solids fraction and a liquid fraction; a microfilterfor filtering the liquid fraction, and a pasteurizer for pasteurizingthe solids fraction. The juice was flown through the system using a pumpat 190 L/min. The system was set up as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

The ultrafiltration cross-flow filter included a rectangular flat sheetpolyether sulfone (PES) membrane with adjustable spacers to create flowchannels. During operation, most of the flow passed over the flowchannels and returned to the pump. The test was performed on 48 kg raworange juice, separated into 34 kg permeate and 14 kg retentate. Theliquid fraction that permeated the membrane was collected at a rate of0.4 L/min. The molecular weight cutoff of the ultrafiltration membranewas 150 kDa, corresponding to a 15 nm nominal pore size.

The microfilter was a direct flow filter (product number 1C230101-82available from Donaldson Company, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minn.) fittedwith a PES-WN 10-inch, 0.2 μm filter.

Reverse Osmosis was performed using a cross-flow filter with an ROmembrane having 100 Da molecular weight cut-off.

The initial sugar content (Brix reading) of the retentate was 12.8. Thesugar content at line 31 (“low sugar retentate”), and line 21 (washcycle permeate) was monitored after 1 cycle, 2 cycles, 3 cycles, and 4cycles of washing with RO water. The sugar content was estimated using aBrix refractometer (ATAGO 3810 PAL-1, available from Atago Co. Ltd. inTokyo, Japan). The Brix readings are shown in TABLE 1 below.

TABLE 1 Brix analysis. Retentate Brix Wash Cycle Permeate Brix (Line 31)(Line 21) Cycle #1 7.0 5.8 Cycle #2 4.4 3.2 Cycle #3 3.2 1.7 Cycle #42.2 0.9 *below detection threshold

It was observed that the sugar content (Brix reading) of the retentatecould be reduced from 12.8 to 2.2 by performing a wash with RO water.This further reduces the amount of sugar being exposed topasteurization. This may further reduce off-flavors in the finalproduct.

The permeate from the ultrafiltration cross-flow filter (line 42 in FIG.3B) was collected into an aseptic clear plastic bag fitted with asampling port. The permeate was observed to be substantially clear witha light orange color, and to have the smell and taste of oranges butsomewhat muted. The permeate was found to have a Brix reading of 10.9.

The permeate was further filtered using the direct flow microfilter. Thefiltered permeate was analyzed for microbial content. The results,compared to the analysis of the raw juice, are shown in TABLE 2 below.

TABLE 2 Sample analysis. Filtered Permeate Unpasteurized Raw JuiceLactic Acid Bacteria <10 CFU/g* 250 CFU/g Aerobic Plate Count <10 CFU/g*140 CFU/g Yeast <10 CFU/g* 250 CFU/g Mold <10 CFU/g*  <10 CFU/g* *belowdetection threshold

The microbial analysis was repeated again after storing the samples forone month and for three months at a refrigerated temperature of 40° F.The one-month results are shown in TABLE 3A below, and the 3-monthresults are shown in TABLE 3B.

TABLE 3A Sample analysis after one month of storage. Filtered PermeateUnpasteurized Raw Juice Lactic Acid Bacteria <10 CFU/g* 50 CFU/g AerobicPlate Count <10 CFU/g* 200,000 CFU/g Yeast <10 CFU/g* 150,000 CFU/g Mold<10 CFU/g* <10 CFU/g* *below detection threshold

TABLE 3B Sample analysis after three months of storage. FilteredPermeate Unpasteurized Raw Juice Lactic Acid Bacteria <10 CFU/g* <10CFU/g Aerobic Plate Count <10 CFU/g* 160,000 CFU/g Yeast <10 CFU/g*720,000 CFU/g Mold <10 CFU/g* 110 CFU/g *below detection threshold

The retentate from the ultrafiltration cross-flow filter formed thesolids fraction. The solids fraction was found to have a very brightcolor and strong fragrance but a weak, slightly bitter flavor. Theretentate was pasteurized in a pasteurization loop at a temperature of90° C. for 10 min. The pasteurized retentate was cooled to 60° C. andbagged. The pasteurized retentate maintained its color and fragrance.

The pasteurized retentate was mixed with the filtered permeate toproduce the final product. The final filtered product was tested in ablind taste test against the original raw juice. The effect of theprocessing was found to be negligible.

All references and publications cited herein are expressly incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety into this disclosure, except tothe extent they may directly contradict this disclosure. Althoughspecific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it willbe appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety ofalternate and/or equivalent implementations can be substituted for thespecific embodiments shown and described without departing from thescope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that thisdisclosure is not intended to be unduly limited by the illustrativeembodiments and examples set forth herein and that such examples andembodiments are presented by way of example only with the scope of thedisclosure intended to be limited only by the claims set forth here.

1.-18. (canceled)
 19. A filtration system comprising: a first ultrafiltration device comprising a first ultrafiltration retentate side and a first ultrafiltration permeate side, the first ultrafiltration device being configured in cross-flow mode; a heater configured to receive flow from the first ultrafiltration retentate side and comprising an output line; a microfilter coupled with and configured to receive flow from the first ultrafiltration permeate side, the microfilter comprising a microfiltration upstream side and microfiltration filtrate side and having a particle size cut-off of 1 μm or smaller, the microfilter being configured in direct flow filtration mode; and a mixer coupled with and configured to receive flow from the heater output line and the microfiltration filtrate side.
 20. The filtration system of claim 19, wherein the ultrafiltration device comprises a membrane having a size cut-off from 10 kDa to 300 kDa.
 21. The filtration system of claim 19 further comprising: a second ultrafiltration device comprising a second ultrafiltration retentate side and a second ultrafiltration permeate side, the second ultrafiltration device being configured in cross-flow mode; a reverse osmosis membrane filter coupled with and configured to receive flow from the second ultrafiltration permeate side, the reverse osmosis membrane filter comprising a reverse osmosis permeate side and reverse osmosis retentate side; and a second mixer coupled with and configured to receive flow from the first ultrafiltration retentate side and the reverse osmosis permeate side, the heater being configured to receive flow from the second ultrafiltration retentate side and the microfilter being configured to receive flow from the reverse osmosis retentate side.
 22. A beverage comprising the microfiltered liquid fraction made by the method of claim
 28. 23. The beverage of claim 22 having a suspended solids content of less than 5 wt-% or less than 2 wt-%.
 24. The beverage of claim 22, consisting of the pasteurized solids fraction and the microfiltered liquid fraction.
 25. The beverage of claim 22, consisting essentially of the microfiltered liquid fraction.
 26. A beverage comprising a microfiltered liquid fraction made by filtering a raw beverage using a cross-flow ultrafiltration device to produce a solids fraction and a liquid fraction; and microfiltering the liquid fraction using a direct-flow microfilter having a size cut-off of 0.1 μm to 1.2 μm to produce the microfiltered liquid fraction.
 27. The beverage of claim 26, wherein the beverage comprises small molecules having molecular weight below 1000 Da that have not been heat treated or radiation treated, and wherein the beverage has a microbial load of less than 10 CFU/g.
 28. A method for preparing a filtered beverage comprising: filtering a raw beverage using the filtration system of claim
 19. 